[To]: Wide Band Neural Net Transmission
[From]: Jonas Hudson
[Subject]: Crisis At Planet Gaia
[Encryption]: BASIC
Jonas Hudson here, former Privateer and Leeds Embargo enforcer here.
Just when I thought it was safe out in the Liberated Edinburgh System, on top of encroachment by the Gallic Union into Orkney, I have discovered a terrible crisis ongoing around Planet Gaia.
It appears the Gaians are now moving in large amounts of, what scanners read as, 'Weaponized Bacterium'. Seems like some kind of a bio weapon. Now, I'd hate to see the Gaians ruin everything that was hard fought over here in Edinburgh out of some spiteful act of pettyness.
To the Gaians, what are you thinking? Do you want to become the next Royalists? Are you planning to infect the people of the refugee camps down there? Or just the plants and animal life? I figure using this kind of stuff has got to be considered some kind of a convention violation, and you're on the verge of a serious human rights violation! You may not know this, but I saved your butts back during the end of the occupation by the Enclave. It was I that discovered a cruiser in the Islay Ice Cloud that was undoubtedly creeping into the nebula to drive you out of your hideout everyone knows is out there somewhere. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even have a presence in the Edinburgh System. Some of you may only be alive because of me. Now, I did that, because I figured it was better than a permanent Enclave presence in the system. I'm starting to wonder if I really chose the lesser of two evils there.
To everyone else, I advise any with a drive to help preserve what will undoubtedly become the next 'breadbasket' of the Taus, converge on the Edinburgh system and give these Gaian smugglers the gears! Anyone that helps will certainly have my respect! I may be just a Junker now, but I won't let these shipments come into the planet unopposed. I don't want any trouble with you folks, you fought hard against the Gallic invader during the war. I'm sorry, but I will take matters into my own hands for this.
Data Packet Delivery Successful Sender:Devin Blackwood Source Encryption:Yes Subject:Mind your business.
Mr.Hudson,
Indeed, your actions in warning us of the cruiser that wandered too far from the safety of its patrol group was valuable, or that we are most certainly grateful.
However, The fact that you are even suggesting turning Gaia into the shambling corpses of a rock that is Stuttgart tells me everything I need to know. Gaia is not nor will it ever be a "Bread Basket" it is a gem, one of the last barely touched sanctuaries from the corrupting tendrils of Humanities sickening lust for gluttonous expansion.
You're a smart man Jonas, keep your nose out of other people's business, or some of this bacteria may end up somewhere a little closer to home.
• Recipient: Open
• Sender: Intermédiaire Édouard René Blanqui
• Source: La Joliette, Marseille
• Subject: Gaia
Bonu dopu meziornu, signore Hudson -- actually, hey, open transmission!
Name's René - let's say that I hold the purse strings on some of the stuff back on Marseille, nice to meet ya'll.
We might be of a different breed - but we do share your thoughts on this whole ordeal. Actually, never thought I would say that - even the Bretonian Dublin-fellas are not that malicious and vile as those Gaians. I do presume that this current activity from the Gaians is just some kind of a big new splinter cell because if I recall correctly, ecologists and humanitarians are not really up to the idea of total genocide. Actually, some smart guys from my crew suggest calling this 'omnicide'.
We're not the saints, let's just say that this is not a secret that we act as a ferry service for some upstarts crew - and that this crew is doin' some good-old violence and proxy war against locals, but at least this is fair activity and people there are people. Using this kind of stuff? I mean, go get someone from Bretonian news on the line - their governments' pet project is about to create second Leeds using biological weapons, some fatalistic and really-really out-of-the-ordinary stuff is happening. Maybe these guys already butchered everyone from their movement who opposed this idea - it looks like they're about to go all-in on killing as many people as possible.
Anyway, anyone who cuts down the gaian traffic in the system and in Taus nearby will get goodies from us, and they will be accepted as friendlies. Or, at least human enough to be treated like one. Because, these guys? Oh-ho-ho, now, THESE guys don't care about such things as 'basic human decency', they are just crazy.
From: Julia Berne To: Gaians and all who would listen Source: Luxury Liner "Jardin Fleuri", Roussillon Are you insane?
What the hell are you doing? Are you completely crazy?!
It is one thing to crush the royalists, and another thing to organize genocide of innocent people on the surface! People with nowhere to go! The same victims of the last war as you are! You monsters, and on behalf of my little Mercenary Company, I declare that we will not rest until the last of those involved in the spread of a dangerous bacterium is brought to justice or dies, as befits a terrorist!
Free pilots and people of Gallia and Sirius, will you really endure another genocide? Weren't you enough of the horrors of the past war? Help to stop this madness!
Julia Berne, The Fae Wing mercenaries. The Avenger
Incoming transmission
From: Exarch Israfel
Location: [ERROR]
Signal: 73%
Video feed unavailable Blood-covered dogs are at it again. Guess soon enough my aides will need to evacuate not just the casualties of this conflict but also the very diplomatic corps and arbiters attempting to ease the tensions on the planet.
Terrorists never cease to amaze me as successful dealers of pain and grief.
Message Class: Textual
Encryption: Ceylon
To: All parties listening to the channel
From: Captain Harold Sommerville, BAF
Sir Hudson,
Harold Sommerville speaking from the HMS Grandiose, currently deployed within Orkney.
On behalf of the Armed Forces, I thank you for the valuable information provided. We are currently in the process of damaging an installation of the Gauls, after which we can turn our attention to the incidents within Edinburgh and its adjacent systems.
The terrorists calling themselves Gaians will no longer be a threat once we deploy our assets. If there are other matters to discuss, inform me in the shortest time. Best of luck.
• Recipient: Open
• Sender: Intermédiaire Édouard René Blanqui
• Source: La Joliette, Marseille
• Subject: Gaia
Saluti, bretonians!
I am Corse, not really 'just' Gaul - different shades, different blood, so hey, guess I am not really that 'trash', eh? Because your eyes, madame Nash, are not different from the abyssal plains of Marseille depths - dark, mysterious, cold. And I like them.
And because I like them, let's forget for just a brief moment all the antics about race, allegiances, and yadda-yadda-yadda. A crew of our secured shipment of this biological weapon, so we've got a stable strain in our laboratories. Yes, yes, we've got laboratories - and cutting-edge ones at that. We can try to do some of our fancy microbiology things, at least try to get some kind of serum by very crude methods - or, at least, precursors for that. Dunno, I am good at business planning, not this, but - oh yeah, - but, we can try providing information on the specifics of the bacterium, structure, some of this stuff, and provide some limited cover when you'll be blasting terrorists off the orbit.
The territory is indeed yours, and I am sure that you will be very happy to detain us, dismantle our ships and try to drown us in boiling water - from which you'll be brewing some good-old Earl Grey afterward - but let's focus on saving the planet and thousands of poor souls, who are stranded there, ey? What do you think, officers?